The National Automobile Museum celebrates the revolutionary genius and legacy of thought of Marcello Gandini with the exhibition ULTRALEGGERA. A design journey with Marcello Gandini between Italy and Qatar – created in collaboration with QAM-Qatar Auto Museum and VCUarts Qatar-Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts Qatar: a living and contemporary reflection on the Maestro’s creative legacy, which becomes a living matter of intergenerational dialogue between the past, present and future of design. The exhibition – born from the collaboration with Qatar Auto Museum (QAM) and Virginia Commonwealth School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts) – is curated by Marzia Gandini and Simone Carena, professor at VCUarts Qatar and creator of the project with the collaboration for the content part by Gautam Sen. Hosted in the Project Room of the National Automobile Museum from 19 June to 31 August 2025, the exhibition relates a selection of drawings, sketches and original models by Gandini, flanked by works created by the students involved in the project in order to explore the theme of movement not only physical but cultural and creative, opening new perspectives and fostering connections between tradition and innovation. A four-day Summer School accompanies the project, with a view to enhancing the educational heritage and influence on future generations of designers and creatives of Marcello Gandini’s work.
On the occasion of the opening of the exhibition, some of the most iconic cars born from the pencil of Marcello Gandini will be exceptionally exhibited in the Museum Square. A unique opportunity to see eleven design masterpieces live, from different private collections: the 1966 Lamborghini Miura, the 1970 Alfa Romeo Montreal, the 1970 Lamborghini Urraco, the 1971 Lamborghini Countach, the 1972 Fiat X1/9, the 1973 Maserati Khamsin, two examples of the 1973 Lancia Stratos, the 1974 Ferrari Dino GT4, the 1974 Mini De Tomaso, the 1989 Maserati Shamal, the 1990 Lamborghini Diablo. The cars will arrive at the Museum by motorcycle, after leaving the Lingotto Track, home to the second day of meetings of the Summer School dedicated to movement. The Lancia Stratos, the Ferrari Dino GT4, the Montreal and the Diablo will remain on display at the Museum until Sunday 29 June for the public who want to see them in the days following the inaugural one. On display – together with drawings, photographs, work tools and models from the Gandini archive – is also the training sailboat designed and built by Marcello Gandini for his nephew Pietro; the Countach flying carpet – 1:1 scale drawing of a Lamborghini Countach, printed on the waste fabric of the Ultraleggera sails; the “Ultraleggera” table – designed in VCUarts Qatar using recovery panels from the construction of Ultraleggera boats and the folding bicycle – an innovative concept conceived by Gandini, equipped with standard-sized wheels.
